[Power K Woman] Former Science and Technology Advisor Park Sukyung: "I Want to Contribute to Science and Technology Policy"

Park Sukyung, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST
Former Science and Technology Advisor under the Moon Jae-in Administration
Aiming to Bridge Science, Technology, and Policy
"Balancing Parenting and Research Will Be a Valuable Asse

"After working in the field of science and technology, I happened to encounter the policy sector by chance, which made me realize its importance. I am now exploring how I can contribute by connecting my expertise in science and technology with policy."

Park Sukyung, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and a former Science and Technology Advisor, shared these thoughts during an interview with Asia Economy at the KAIST main campus in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon on the 19th of last month. Although both science and technology and policy can be weighty topics, Professor Park conducted the interview with enthusiasm and expressed her desire to continue contributing to the field of science and technology policy.

As a female scientist and engineer, Professor Park also offered generous advice to her juniors. In particular, she encouraged those facing challenges not only in balancing work and family but also in dealing with the realities of childbirth and parenting, emphasizing, "Time is on your side." She explained, "Children will eventually grow up and leave your side," adding, "You are simply adjusting your pace for a while." The following is a Q&A with Professor Park.

Professor Park Sukyung of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST is being interviewed at KAIST in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon on the 19th of last month.

―You have an impressive list of achievements: the first cohort of Seoul Science High School, the first female researcher at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, and the first female professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST. You have been introduced as a 'glass ceiling breaker' in the science and technology community.

▲That role was played by my seniors. I am probably among the last of the second generation of female scientists and engineers. When there was nothing, the first generation of seniors, now in their 60s and 70s, struggled to pave the way, and the second generation created systems that widened the doors, from which I also benefited.

―What is 'biomechanics,' your field of research?

▲Biomechanics is the study of analyzing human movement using the principles of mechanical engineering. While the main research subjects in mechanical engineering are often thought to be automobiles or robotic systems, biomechanics focuses on the human body as a system. It involves modeling how muscles and nerves coordinate to produce movements such as walking and running, and how much force is applied to the joints and how much energy is consumed in the process. If these models are well developed, it is possible to predict a person's movement characteristics with simple data, enabling the effective design of rehabilitation devices or assistive equipment. Recently, I have been interested in technologies that generate useful healthcare information from movement data collected by wearable devices such as smartwatches. If these technologies are commercialized, they could significantly reduce healthcare costs in an aging society.

―When did you first become interested in biomechanics?

▲I learned about biomechanics in graduate school. I originally liked physics, so I studied mechanical engineering, and until my master's degree, I researched vibration in order to reduce automobile muffler noise. When I was about to pursue my Ph.D., interdisciplinary research became popular, and while searching for something new, I found out in the United States that there was research combining mechanics and biology to study human walking and running. At that time, I went to study under a professor in this field, which led me to pursue my doctoral studies abroad.

―You served as a member of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council and as Science and Technology Advisor during the Moon Jae-in administration. What led you to enter the policy field?

▲During the Moon Jae-in administration, policies were introduced to improve the situation for graduate students, who were considered underprivileged in the science community, and to double the basic research funding, which increased my interest in policy. While I was active in the National Science and Technology Advisory Council, I was recommended for the position of Science and Technology Advisor. It is common for private sector experts who participate in government committees to be recommended for policy work. I served as Science and Technology Advisor during the latter part of the Moon administration, working for the final two years of the government.

Professor Su-Kyung Park of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST is being interviewed at KAIST in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon on the 19th of last month.

―The way you work and the direction in which results are achieved must have been very different from your time at the university.

▲It was a valuable time that allowed me to understand and learn the differences between being a professor and a government official. The key was shifting my perspective from being a 'critic' to being an 'implementer.' As Science and Technology Advisor, I supported policy across the board-from the economy and security to industry-from the perspective of advanced science and technology. In the beginning, I focused on analyzing policy and pointing out limitations from a professor's perspective. Then, during a meeting, I suddenly realized that I was the only one speaking from a different angle. A colleague in the presidential secretariat told me, 'It is important to point out problems with your expertise, but how about suggesting alternatives? We are people who make things happen.' That made me realize that policy and state administration are about allocating national resources effectively to the people.

I also learned that there are countless co-authors in policy. Institutional improvements often require many people to keep raising their voices for five or ten years just to make half a step or a full step forward. Even if things don't change immediately, you shouldn't give up; keep making proposals and pass the baton to those who come after you so that the agenda survives, and when the timing and conditions are right, the system will eventually change. In the policy cycle, some people till the soil, others sow the seeds, and the ones who reap the fruit may be different people altogether. If you were to record all the contributors behind those who reap the fruit, there would be dozens or even hundreds of co-authors for each policy. To bring about change in the field through science and technology policy, the community must work together and maintain the spirit of 'Junggukma' (never giving up in the middle).

―Recently, a significant number of young science and technology talents are going abroad. What improvements are needed?

▲We need to shift from supply-driven to demand-supply balanced policies and change the policy paradigm from focusing on short-term output to a long-term ecosystem perspective. Until now, the government has focused on increasing the supply of talent by highlighting the number of people produced. However, if companies-the main demand side-do not continuously create environments to accept talent, a virtuous cycle cannot be sustained. Unless companies change the environment to attract talent and improve working conditions, fostering a culture that values people, there will be fewer opportunities to reap the rewards. The role of companies as demanders needs to be emphasized more.

It is also necessary to establish an environment that allows researchers to fully demonstrate their capabilities and to modernize research support infrastructure. According to statistics, researchers spend 40% of their time on administrative tasks unrelated to research. These are secondary tasks resulting from various government audits and regulations. Even a 10% improvement based on trust could reduce the loss of capabilities. In advanced countries, research support infrastructure-such as equipment, equipment operators, and on-site support staff-is well established to enhance researcher productivity. In this era of population decline, Korea also needs to expand such infrastructure.

Professor Su-Kyung Park of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST is being interviewed at KAIST in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon on the 19th of last month.

―What should be the government's direction for fostering science and technology?

▲To foster science and technology and secure growth momentum with limited resources compared to advanced countries, three directions are necessary: first, strategic investment; second, synergy creation; and third, advancement of the research·development (R&D) ecosystem. The government R&D budget is 30 trillion won, which is less than the annual R&D investment of a major Chinese corporation. We need to face this reality. We must realistically establish a portfolio strategy for how to invest by field and target to achieve both short- and long-term goals and communicate with the science and technology community. For example, even if the government's main agenda is strategic technology or artificial intelligence (AI), while increasing investment in those fields, it is also important to examine how the overall investment is being made, how investments in various other fields are being carried out, and to communicate by publicly sharing the current status and trends.

―What are your mid- to long-term life goals?

▲Advanced technology has become a key game changer for national economic growth and security. However, Korea has limited human and material resources compared to global powerhouses. In this situation, the major challenge is how to develop and implement effective survival and leapfrogging strategies. This is a complex problem that cannot be solved by the efforts of a few. By leveraging collective intelligence with experts from various fields at KAIST, the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, and related academic societies, I hope to find solutions in the field of science and technology policy.

―What advice would you give to students who see you as a role model?

▲If you want to major in science and engineering, you must first find joy in learning. Creating such an environment is an important responsibility for our generation and the government. For female students, engineering may seem to have high entry barriers, but I want to let them know that if they take on the challenge with courage, it is actually a blue ocean in this era of talent shortages. Even if your career stagnates due to childbirth and parenting, engineering is a field where you can thrive as an irreplaceable expert.

Especially to juniors in their 30s who are experiencing the challenges of balancing work and family, childbirth, and parenting, I want to say, "Time is on your side." The time management skills and problem-solving abilities gained from juggling parenting and research will become valuable assets for your growth as a mature researcher. The current busy and difficult period will not last forever. It is by no means a time of falling behind. Endure and survive well, and when your time comes, I hope you will fully demonstrate your capabilities.

▶About Professor Park Sukyung of KAIST

Born in 1973, she entered Seoul Science High School as part of its first cohort, graduated in just two years, and completed her bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering at KAIST. She then earned her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan in the United States and worked as a research fellow at a Harvard-affiliated hospital. In 2003, she made headlines by becoming the first female senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials in its 27-year history. In 2004, she became the first female professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST. In 2017, she served as a member of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council, and in 2020, as Science and Technology Advisor at the Blue House. She is Vice President of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea and President of the KAIST Faculty Association.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.